mt. baker
After spending a few days in Oso, we wanted to head north so we could get a look at Mt. Baker. I’ve seen it numerous times in the distance while on the Olympic Peninsula but never had taken the time to get up close and personal.
Here are a couple of interesting facts about this mountain. Mt. Baker has the heaviest glacier cover of the Cascade Range volcanoes; the volume of snow and ice on Mount Baker is greater than that of all the other Cascades volcanoes (except Rainier) combined. Mt. Baker is the third-highest mountain in Washington and the fifth-highest in the Cascade Range.
Indigenous peoples have known the mountain for thousands of years, but the first written record of the mountain is from Spanish explorer Gonzalo Lopez de Haro, who mapped it in 1790 as Gran Montaña del Carmelo, “Great Mount Carmel“. The explorer George Vancouver renamed the mountain after 3rd Lieutenant Joseph Baker of HMS Discovery, who saw it on April 30, 1792.
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- COASST Beached Bird Surveys
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As it was the middle of the week when we decide to head up we had the mountain pretty much to ourselves which suited us just fine. We took our friend, and fellow Essex Explorer Brads, advise and headed to Artist Point which is located at the end of Mount Baker Highway. We were not disappointed. Just the drive is worth the effort, but the views from up top are stunning. Both Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan are visible and seem to be within arms reach.
While on the way back from the top, we took advantage of the weather to stop along the bank of the North Fork Nooksack River and have a picnic lunch. Turned out to be a great day in the North Cascades.
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You never know what a simple hike through the woods will yield. Found this small dam in the hills behind our camp on Hood Canal. I'm guessing that at one time it was used by a hometead to hold water during the summer months.
Sunset over Westport.
Some of the lush green and waterfalls to be found on the Olympic Peninsula.
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Just published our latest adventure - "A Visit to North Cove" - You can find the link in my bio up top. https://buff.ly/3KFAQB8
Tongue Point on the Strait of Juan de Fuco. This was a negative tide and I’ve never seen so much of the reef exposed.
Never seen the tide so low here at Crescent Bay. Getting ready for this weekends #COASST bird survey.
Theresa doing her best to imidate the North head Lighthouse.
Here's an elevated view of the massive geologic formation on the south side of our Dusty Lakes camp.
Took us a bit to get into Dusty Lake and a one point we were being chase by a thunderstorm, but the views and scenery made up for the hardships.
A rare clear evening out on Washington's coast. The Olympic National Park has miles of coastline to enjoy.
Sunset over the Ginkgo Petrified Forest Interpretive Center. Watch this site as we'll be heading back next week for an extended stay to explore the Ancient Lakes area. #northcentralwashington #ncw #centralwa #columbiagorgeinspiration
Squalls approaching Portage Head. Jason and I found ourselves hunkered down in a tent waiting for a bit of clearing in the morning before heading down the coast in our kayaks.
The old BNSF railroad maintenance shed. It's been torn down to make room for a golf course, but when it was standing, you could still find parts for the trains in labeled bins.
Sunset over the hills of the Columbia River Gorge near Vantage. We'll be heading back there next week...stay tuned.
Sunset over the old gravel dock near Steilacoom. This area abounds with a rich tapestry of history.
Bellingham Basecamp
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Speaking of camp, we had decided to move from the Oso area up to Bellingham just to shorten our trips. However, we were pleasantly surprised at just how much the Bellingham area had in the way of outdoor activities as well.
The one aspect that we really appreciate was the sheer number of bike trails available, and we took advantage of them with our RAD Power Bikes. Of all those trails the most interesting was the Interurban Trail which heads out of Bellingham through a number of green belts and eventually ends at Larrabee State Park. Well worth the ride if you are ever in the area.
